If a student has missed 10% of school days (or more) it is essential to connect with their family to learn more about the underlying causes of their student’s absenteeism. To this end, the Barrier Assessment tool provides a script for a phone call as well as a detailed checklist of potential barriers that may be impacting the student. As an initial intervention, the Barrier Assessment serves to bring the issue to a family’s awareness. However, the Barrier Assessment is most effective when paired with additional interventions based on the barriers that are identified during the call.